Together they ran into the night, stumbling through bushes and tripping over tree roots. Twice Caleb sailed headlong into the darkness, feet unsteady beneath him, but Brance’s grip on his arm didn’t let him fall. He followed the man blindly, letting himself be led deeper into the woods. This being the last night of change, he knew the moon wouldn’t trigger his condition immediately; only the first night did his transformation come on fast, at dusk. The other two nights, it happened once the moon had started across the sky. A bobcat would close the distance he and Brance crossed at greater speeds, and much more quietly. Their only chance was to run as fast and as far as they could and hope the rebels lost them in the dark.
Soon Caleb’s side began to burn. He stopped, gasping for breath. “W
